


Pulling of Fate (Probably not going to be worked on again)

by Sly_Helador



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Aged-Up Character(s), Dialogue Light, Established Relationship, Fate & Destiny, Flashbacks, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mates, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Post-War, Psychological Torture, Reunions, Separation, Soul-Searching, War Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-23
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 06:22:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8962387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sly_Helador/pseuds/Sly_Helador
Summary: Only fate could have told these four unlikely companions that they were supposed to be together. After being brought together by their souls, they were inseparable. They fit so well together that there was no doubt in anyone's mind that these people would accomplish great things. That is, until the great war separated them.With only the shirts on their back and a small sense in the back of their minds, all four of them can only hope for the best.Follow the four soul-mates roam the world in search for each other, gaining help and friends along the way.





	1. Ch.1 ~Tsukishima

Not only would waking up in the middle of the woods make anyone jumpy, waking up to the sound of branches breaking can make even the most calm of people panic. This was what caused the rational thinker Tsukishima to declare in his mind while he was trying to avoid his old campsite. Even after a long while of being alone and fending for himself, there was never a moment that Tsukishima believed that he was truly safe.

While not totally aware of how long he had been moving away from his recent campsite, Tsukishima still had an inkling that someone was following him. Not that weird superstition that everyone had in 'bad' situations. No, this was the realist feeling that Tsukishima had felt in a long time. That and he had been a little careless as of late.

The forest that he is currently in is not one of the best that he had ever resided in. It was obvious that it is located more north than the previous forests he had stayed in. There were far more deciduous trees and animals. That was what worried him the most. The days had started getting shorter, colder, and dryer. Without a decent shelter for protection from the cold, there was no chance for survival.

'Maybe it is time for me to finally move in _that_ direction. I've been in all of the other directions that I possible can go in,' Tsukishima thought to himself.

After another short detour, he ended up back at the temporary camp. Tsukishima quickly gathered up his few belongings and carefully placed them in his knapsack after looking at each one in turn. There was only a few changes of clothes, an empty plastic bottle, a knife, and finally the small keepsakes that were carefully and precisely wrapped in a blanket. The three items had become his most prized possessions. There was a single owl feather, a blue shirt, and a colorful pencil.

The owl feather, which Tsukishima found on the ground a few weeks back, reminded him of the overly hyperactive Bokuto. The feather was obviously a snow owl feather. While this was not Bokuto's favorite species, the feather grew on Tsukishima.

The blue shirt was Akaashi's. It was one of his favorites and still smelled faintly like Akaashi. Tsukishima had taken great care to make sure that the shirt remained in pristine condition.

The final object, the pencil, was Kuroo's. It was his favorite doodling pencil. Tsukishima had taken it the day before the war to draw a picture for Kuroo. Now, he only used the pencil if absolutely needed.

These three objects gave hope to him everyday. Hope that he would return to his mates one day. Hope that fate would bring the four souls together at least one final time.

He stopped for one final look over of the camp. With nothing out of the ordinary, he decided to move one with the travel for his mates.

Anyone that had ever met the man could tell you that he did not follow his instincts. He would first analyze a situation, asses his options, determine the possible outcomes, console other respected opinions, then come to a final decision. So, following the small pull in his mind that he had felt since arriving in this forest was not the first option that he would have picked. However, even the most rational of people have feelings that they cannot ignore in their minds.

This was that feeling for Tsukishima. He could no longer ignore the feeling within his mind.

'This sucks. Now I'm acting like a twelve year old in a fairy tale. Not only am I going to follow a small feeling, I am also going to end up giving myself false hope. Everyone knows that people stop having these feelings once they meet their soul-mates. This feeling is a load of bull.'

However, his heart was giving him false hope. This felt exactly like what had lead him to the others when he needed them the most.

Tsukishima walked slowly in the direction that the feeling was leading him in.


	2. Ch.2    ~Kuroo

Waking up to the sound of gun shots would be enough to send even the most calm into a panic. However, years of being on the front line made anyone prepared. With his gun next to his resting spot, Kuroo was one of the first men ready when the alarm sounded in the middle of the night. Only his most trusted officer had been more prepared than he. Then again, Kenma was an extremely light sleeper.

As the leader of this fresh group, Kuroo knew he needed to keep a level head. These men had only seen very few battles.

The alarm sounding was the one all of the soldiers dreaded hearing. It was the defense alarm. The base was under attack.

"All men in the alpha team are to head over to the east hall and engage the enemy soldiers," Kuroo demanded. He grabbed ahold of Kenma's sleeve and pulled him in the other direction. "Kenma, you need to follow me to the camera room so that we can give these men a chance at surviving this night. We can tell them through our communication device which way the enemy soldiers are heading."

Quickly giving out orders to his men had been easy, but was also killing Kuroo on the inside. Everyone that was enlisted into the army knew that the death toll in this war was high. They might have had the home advantage, but was also at a severe disadvantage in terms of technology. Anyone on the front lines could tell you that they thought they were not going to ever walk back into their homes again. The closest home they were ever going to get was in a coffin.

Kuroo and Kenma ran through the base towards their destination. So far the path had been empty. After a small run they finally got to the door to the room with the camera feeds and data.

Kuroo, being the person with access to this room, opened the door with his key card.

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

He was woken up by the sudden loud noise. He had forgotten that today was the celebration for the end of the war. Kuroo had been having this particular dream almost every time he went to sleep. 

The sound that had woken him up were the fireworks. Red, green, white, and blue were lighting up the atmosphere.

"Damn. I can't even get a good night sleep. The army should be able to fix everything. At least that's what they tell us."

Kuroo then walked outside to watch the fireworks closer.

"Why would we be celebrating? The war was the worst one this planet has ever seen," he said aloud.

One of the other people outside heard what he had said and responded," All of the men were risking their lives for you everyday out on the front lines young man. You should be greatful and show your gratitude."

With that, Kuroo did not even bother to try to argue. He only walked away.

'These people don't even know the hardships that the soldiers had to go through. Most don't even want to be congratulated.' He thought to himself.

"Hey, are you ok?" Someone from behind Kuroo asked. 

"What? Yeah there is nothing wrong," Kuroo replied.

"That man back there is my father. He just does not understand that not everyone sees eye to eye on cetain subjects," the person said. They moved closer and Kuroo could now tell that it was a girl of about 20.

"Its okay. I don't even try to argue with people like that anymore." 

"Would you like to go out and get some drinks? This celebration is bumming me out."

"Yeah. I need to drink my worries away."

'That and I cannot stop seeing their faces in my head.'


	3. Ch.3 ~Bokuto

Everyday was the most challenging day yet for Bokuto. He had to face all of the demons from his dreams.

Waking up was a test of will. 

Lifting his head was a test of determination.

Standing up was a test of faith.

Everyday Bokuto was able to survive in the camp. He made himself work day in and day out. The work was taxing, gruesome, and laborous, but he survived day in and day out. He made himself one of the best.

"Hey! Slave!" One of the taskmasters yelled at the old man beside Bokuto yelled. "You need to work harder! We are giving you the best life that you deserve here! Now work for your new life."

This life was torture, but Bokuto knew he could survive.

Nothing was going to take away his chances at seeing them again. 

"One way to work the best is to blank out your mind and think about loved ones that you will see again. I've been here since the beginning and have learned that this is the best way," he said to the man next to him.

"You are very kind. But all of my loved ones are dead. Killed in the war.Yours are too most likely," the older man replied back solemnly.

"No! They are the strongest people around! They would stay alive longer than anyone else! They are probably working against these barbaric people and are winning the war to free us right now!"

This outburst alarmed the taskmasters, causing multiple to storm over to Bokuto.

"Hey! What do you think you are doing. We do not permit any talk of treason! Maybe you need to spend some time in the dark room. Come with me." One of them demanded to Bokuto. 

With that, Bokuto's arms were bound and he was dragged off, the old man only looking at him with pity. This was not the first time that he had seen this happen. The men in control of this camp liked to get rid of rebellion before it started growing. So, anyone who talked of it was either killed or sent to the 'dark room'.

This area was a torture room for the mind. It's a concrete room buried multiple stories underground. There is no light sources and no warmth.

At least, that's the only thing that anyone could get out of the poor souls who returned from it.

Those people could not even remember their own names. Only darkness lived in their minds.

Their lives had become a living hell.

This was now Bokuto's fate.

To live in pure darkness with no sense of time, place, or self. Sentenced and damned to hell.

He slowly was lead to his demise.

'I will not give in to their torture. What good is it if I lose myself. They need my alive and healthy after this war. I'm not the only one going through literal hell,' Bokuto thought to himself.

The building was not only inconspicuous, but it was also surronded by other buildings. That just frightened Bokuto more.

Down three flights of stairs, follow two hallways, and into the first door on the right. Exactly like past victims said. 

The guard unlocked the iron door with a key. Then opened it slowly, obviously using all of his strength. Finally he pushed Bokuto inside.

The last few seconds of light that he got to see were spent steeling his mind. Until he was released, none of his energy would go to his eyes.

The only sight in Bokuto's mind was of the three most important people in his whole world.

Then the door was closed up tight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I got inspiration from the book series The Throne of Glass and from WWII. The last three chapters all happen on the same day, if you were unaware.


	4. Ch.4 ~Tsukishima

'Fireworks? Why would there be fireworks? The war is still happening, right? This can't be happening,' Tsukishima thought to himself.

The feeling in the back of his mind had been slowly increasing as he wandered in this direction. The fireworks must be a sign of something coming, but the question was what. Not only had he been on his own for an unknown amount of time, but he had also purposely been avoiding any and all people. A lack of trust in humanity as a whole had grown inside of Tsukishima.

The sounds of a large crowd grew louder once Tsukishima got within seeing distance of the town with the fireworks. Actually, it was less of a town and more like a huge metropolis. He gaped and wondered how he had not seen any of this from farther away. There were multiple skyscrapers and large apartment buildings along with a train station. The one thing in particular that caught his eye was the fact that the city was extremely green. There were trees growing along every road, greenhouses on top of buildings, and a lot of the lamp posts looked to be powered by solar power.

On the other side of the spectrum was the fact that the city also seemed to have an abundance of police officers and common foot soldiers. That was probably because of the firework display.

As it was night and he did not want to cause a disturbance, Tsukishima built a camp for the night. He settled in and quickly fell asleep since he was now used to the wilderness floor.

Morning came just as fast as the night had ended. The only inclination of time passing was the sunlight now beaming down on Tsukishima's face. He huffed out a sigh and cleaned up the meek camp. He had decided that the feeling in his head was obviously leading him to this city.

Once all preparations were finished, he walked to the city. One surprising thing was that the city still had a large amount of officers roaming the streets.

'I could either go up to one of the officers and ask for assistance, with the off chance of something going wrong, or I could walk into town as nonchalant as possible and hope for the best. Might as well go for the second; it takes less effort.'

So, Tsukishima just walked from the middle of the forest into a busy street full of bustling people after having no human interactions in a long time. That turned out _exactly_ like he planned.

First, a small boy ran into him, which caused Tsukishima to glare at the poor boy. This in turn made the boy cry out to his mother. Which caused the mother to ridicule Tsukishima for not watching where he was going and his rattled appearance.

This made him irritated.

Second, he saw a sign on the side of the road that pointed in the direction of the train station. This would actually be helpful if not for the fact that the station was multiple miles away and Tsukishima had no money for either a taxi or a train ticket.

This made him angry.

Third, the place that he arrived in town in was perhaps the busiest and loudest place in the whole city. That meant lots of noise and people. After a long time in almost complete silence, Tsukishima was not used to the noise.

This made him furious.

So, when a police officer approached him and asked for a reason he was standing at a complete standstill in the middle of the road, he exploded. The officer looked like a nice man who could help him, but nothing could have prevented what was sure to happen.

Next thing he knew, he was being led to a police station by two policemen. One was the original that he had lost his anger and control on. The other was a man who looked like he could be a bodyguard for a gang. His bald head and facial expression were not fitting for a police officer.

The original officer was shorter and had a long mop of  brown hair. That and his face was completely covered with freckles. While one officer looked too rough around the edges, the other looked too soft to do any harm. They looked like a bad cop and good cop duo from a movie.

Since he had cooperated while being mobilized, he was able to convince the shorter one to let him sit in a chair to explain what had happened. He figured it was better than being in the small jail cell.

"Why did you stand in the middle of the road and resist talking to me?" the shorter one asked.

"Maybe if the people in this city had any sense of decency, I would be able to navigate my way through this huge, new place and I had a hard time comprehending what was going on at the moment," Tsukishima replied with the first snarky comment he could think of.

The 'bad' cop then looked at Tsukishima like he had just insulted the queen of the world and questioned, "Why are you acting like you are better than anyone else in this world? You are the one in jail right now."

"You say that you are new to this city. How did you get here? You had no money or wallet when we checked you," the 'good' cop asked him.

"I walked."

"How did you walk! There is not another city close to here for about twenty miles and the city is surrounded by dense forests!" 'bad' cop questioned again.

"I've been living out in the forests since the first draft for the war. I've just been wandering around after that."

The two police officers then turned around and whispered something. They obviously had a quick debate about something that the 'good' cop ended up winning. They turned back around and that cop suddenly looked even more anxious.

"I'm not exactly sure how that could be true because the war had been going on for almost three years. It officially ended yesterday."

'Man, three years is a long time. This sucks. I've been away from them for THREE YEARS?' he thought to himself almost in disbelief.

"If I were to say I believe you, would you tell me your name? I could probably look you up in the database. My name is Yamaguchi Tadashi by the way."

"Tsukishima Kei."

The 'good' cop, or rather Yamaguchi, went to his computer and typed something in. He scrolled through a page until he found what he wanted apparently. Then he looked at Tsukishima like he was the coolest thing in this world. He called over the other cop to look at what he had found. The other cop had a similar, yet much toned down reaction.

"So, this is telling me that you have _three_ soul mates, have found _all_ of them, and yet not a _single one_ is a woman? That's tough luck right there," the 'bad' cop yelled out. Tsukishima just sighed at the idiocy of that remark.

"This government page with your data on it also says that you live almost one hundred miles southeast of here. One thing that does match up however, is the fact that it says you went missing about two years and eight months ago. How about you come over here and we can look up your soul mates. Then we can discuss what we are going to do with you," Yamaguchi suggested with the obvious plan to get Tsukishima to open up to them.

While he really wanted to know where his loves were, he did not want to only learn that they had perished or also disappeared. So, he told Yamaguchi in an abnormally quiet voice, "Will you look up if they are alive first? I will only look at the computer if you do that for all three of them. And please make 'bad' cop over there leave. He is making my headache even more intense.

"Can do Tsuuki. Tanaka leave."

"Do not call me Tsuuki."

Yamaguchi got straight to work with looking up the three men. He kept a straight face during the whole process. Then he called over Tsuuki with a smile.

"Good news. Kuroo is confirmed alive after being in the army and is back at where you used to live. Bokuto is said to have joined the army as well but was taken as a war prisoner early on. However, no reports have come in confirming his death and since the war is over, war prisoners will soon be returned. Akaashi was recruited into the most secretive part of the government. This means that I cannot access his file except to see that he is also still alive. You are one lucky man Tsuuki."

He could not even process what he had just been told. They are alive. **They are alive.** This is a miracle. He was going to see them again.

"-uuki! Tsuuki! Hey! Tsuuki listen to me!'

"W-what?"

How about you come back to my place and we can try to contact your soul mates. I live alone but have a couch that you can sleep on for the night. That should be better than the woods."

Yamaguchi grabbed onto the still dazed Tsukishima's hand and pulled him towards his car, drove him back to the apartment, and pulled him inside. He gently pushed him down onto the much too small couch.

'They are alive.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I listened to the song 'Study Both Sweet and Sour' from the Shokugeki no Soma soundtrack while writing this chapter. Felt that it fit perfectly. The whole of the Shokugeki no Soma soundtrack is the best that I have ever heard, including the openings and endings. However, I more often jam to Yuri!! on Ice.  
> That and I have such a hard time writing out Tsuuki's personality. He is so snarky that I can't write him well enough with my limited dialogue. Please tell me what you think in the comments and tell me if I should stop doing dialogue, or how I might be able to fix it.


	5. Ch.5 ~Kuroo

Apparently, getting drinks does not mean going to a loud, busy bar. Going to get a drink means going to a small diner with a small bar on one side. This was an immediate turn off for Kuroo.

"Sorry to say something, but aren't we going to a bar? We are going to get drinks right?" He questioned.

"Yeah, we are. But, I don't like large crowds. If you don't like it, then you can go. I am buying the first round though," she pointedly said.

'Fine, I can deal with a small diner if the booze will be free.'

The two adults took a seat at the bar. The woman ordered something weak to start them off while Kuroo observed the woman. She was small but not weak looking. She had soft facial features with a head of shoulder length black hair, chic pink glasses, and pale gray eyes.

They sat in silence until the first round of drinks came by. Then the woman started, "I... I don't know why you are here. I know most of the people in this small town. I'm Shimizu, by the way, Shimizu Kiyoko."

This caught Kuroo off guard for a moment before steeling his mind. Then he spoke, "I'm Tetsurou Kuroo. I came here to find myself. Find what really matters to me. Though, I might be too early or too late."

"What do you mean by that? You're too early, late?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. All that I know is that my perfect life is gone. It's nowhere to be found, other than in the ground," Kuroo exclaimed rather loudly and took a long swig of his drink.

Kiyoko watched over Kuroo for a minute while he stared into the drink pensively. He looked at the cup annoyed but also... longingly?

"One more round please."

The drinks came over and were immediately drank by both of the recipients. With the alcohol warm in their bellies and a buzz in their heads, the conversation started to pick up a little.

"So, is everyone in this town as ignorant as your father about the war? I will never be able to stay in this town, even with the memories it holds, if that is the case," Kuroo started off.

"Pretty much," she replied." Actually, almost everyone who did not actually take part in the war has the exact opinion. So, you might be out of luck with that. There are a few people who are sympathetic and understand that the war was not perfect, but not many.

"Only the capital is home to a vast majority of sympathizers. Even then, there is not a whole lot of them. I've heard the hardest part is trying to get anyone to listen."

"That makes sense. Even in the army, half of the soldiers had basically been told that they were fighting evil people who wanted to destroy their homes and kill their families for sport. The worst part is that they listened and believed it."

The war had been advertised as a war against the evil in the world and all those who were allies of it. Most of the countries' population believe the propaganda.

The latest round of drink ordered had been left sitting on the counter, completely filled, during the conversation. Kuroo looked outside a nearby window to see not a hint of light shining through. He abruptly stood up, which startled Kiyoko. She sent him a questioning look but understood when he said that he needed to get back to his hotel room for the night. They said their goodbyes and parted ways.

'Man, if I get locked out of my hotel I don't know what I'm gonna do.'

He sprinted to the hotel and restaurant just in time. One of the workers were closing for the night and left him through. He thanked the man and went back to his room for the night.

The only thing in his room was a suitcase barely unpacked. Since it was so late at night, Kuroo climbed out of his clothes and went to bed. 

His nights sleep was fitful like it always has been after the war. Tossing and turning all night made sure that he could never fully fall asleep. 

Waking up ok in the morning was even harder than falling asleep at night. With only about two hours of decent sleep, Kuroo never wanted to wake up.

He had to get up, for them. He would never stop until they were confirmed dead. That, or he would live his life for them if they were still alive.

Kuroo got dressed for the day in a pair of baggy pants and a size too large shirt. None of his clothes fit him anymore since he lost so much weight and gained only a little muscle.

He went down to the restaurant attached to the hotel and saw that Kiyoko was a waitress. Kuroo walked over to her and waited until she was done serving a costumer.

She turned around and said," Kuroo, I'm surprised that you are here. I never would have thought that you were staying here."

 "Yeah. Can I ask you a question?" He asked.

"Sure."

"Where would I go if I wanted to check if my soul mates are alive or not?"

"Ummm, I would guess that you need to go to city hall. Sorry, I really wouldn't be able to tell you much," she replied with a tone of sadness in her voice.

"Why is that? You haven't met them yet?"

"No, I have. She died a few years ago. She was a nurse in the war and the other side... dropped bombs on the hospital."

"I'm very sorry for you. The last time I've heard from or seen my mates was years ago as well. I know that the chance that they are awake is slim, but I keep ahold of hope."

"Yeah. Umm, the city hall is down at the square. Biggest building in the city. You couldn't miss it. Good luck," she said with a small smile and walked away to go back to her job."

He tried to say thank you but she was too far away to hear. So, he walked down the street and saw the tall building.

'I can't do this. I don't want to know. I can't.

'I have to. I need the closure. I can.'

He walked inside. The place was mostly empty except for a few people in line to talk to the single receptionist. He got in line and waited for no more than ten minutes. Then the lady called for the next person, him.

"What can I do for you today sir?" She asked.

"Ummm, could you look up whether or not my soul mates are alive or not? I got out of touch with them when the war started," he replied looking down at his shoes.

"Sure. I'll just need to go into the System of Soul Mates. Tell me their name and I will look them up," she said with a look that said die had been through this before.

"There are three. Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji, and Tsukishima Kei."

The lady typed something into her computer and immediately said," Bokuto is said to have been taken as a war prisoner, although his body was never returned. He looks to be alive. Akaashi is confirmed alive and is working really high up in the government at the capital right now. I cannot find anything other than that about him, so he must work really high up. Tsukishima actually was said to have been put back into the system today. He was said to be missing for years and his status was update today. He is right now in a small town about an hours ride from here. I can send an email to the police department and tell them to keep him there until you arrive there."

"Please," Kuroo begged." If what you are telling me is true, then do that. I'll leave as soon as I can. I need to see him again. Thank you. Thank you."

"Sure. A train leaves for that town in about thirty minutes. You should go now."

He immediately ran out of the building, back to the hotel, and grabbed his bag. The train station was down the street and luckily a ticket was not too expensive. 

'I'm going to see him. Kei, wait for me please.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating. Exams are over with and I plan to write a lot more often. I hope you enjoyed the long chapter.


	6. Ch. 6 ~Tsukishima

"-uki. Tsuuki. TSUUKI! TSUKISHIMA!!"

He darted awake. Not only had he been in the deepest sleep he had been in in a while, he also was still not used to being around any people while he slept. So, waking up this way was not the best idea for both parties involved.

Tsukishima not only woke up very abruptly, he also violently attacked the person waking him up. Luckily, that person had good reflexes, being a cop and all, and was able to jump away in time. That person, being one Yamaguchi, also was able to calm him from his fearful rage.

"Tsuuki! Calm down. There is nothing to fear here," he said. "You are at my house and I just woke you up. It's ok."

He shook his head as he was reminded of all of the events from yesterday. Most of all, the fact that everyone is alive. This must be the ending of a nightmare.

"Well Tsuuki, I have amazing news for you. You might actually want to lay down for this one," Yamaguchi said with the excitement visible on his face. Tsukishima did as he was told. "Okay, since I put you into the computer system yesterday, someone else was able to see that you were with me and no longer missing. This person searched for you by the request of Kuroo Tetsurou. The government worker then called me, confirmed that you were in my custody for the moment, and told Kuroo. So, he is on a train headed here right now. I have been told that he will arrive within the next two hours or so."

While his face showed no emotion, he was screaming inside. Kuroo was coming to see him.

Yamaguchi, sensing that Tsuuki was too excited to do anything, motioned him towards the bedroom.

"You do not have any clean clothes, right? I'll go out to the second hand store really quick and buy you a pair of clothes. So you can sit there or you can read a book or a newspaper. I'll be right back."

He put on his shoes and walked out the door in a little bit of hurry. So, Tsukishima walked over to the table and grabbed the daily newspaper. The headline read, "WORST WAR OVER! REBUILDING STARTS TODAY!".

'So, the war has ended, cities are going to be rebuilt, and Kuroo is coming to see me again after three years. This really is the ending of a nightmare. I have woken up.'

Since Tsukishima was in an unknown home, he did not do anything but explore his mind until Yamaguchi came home. Once he did come home, they prepared for the meet up with Kuroo. His train ride did not give them long enough to emotionally prepare him.

It was as busy as ever at the train station. People from rural areas were coming in for their jobs. Others were leaving to smaller towns. One thing for sure was the fact that Kuroo was late. Not only was he late, the train he was on had not reported being behind schedule. This was cause for panic in Tsukishima's mind. Kuroo must have changed his mind on coming to see him again. He must hate him for leaving for three years. Tsukishima will never see-

"Tsuuki? Tsuuki!" a familiar voice screamed out.

He turned around and said with disbelief, "Kuroo! You did come."

The two ran towards each other until finally they collapsed in an embrace on the floor of the station.

They stayed there for a minute or two just enjoying each others comfort until the crowd around them got to be too much. Without leaving each others arms, they stood up and walked out of the way.

Kuroo was still in a bit of a state of shock while Tsukishima was clearly close to tears. He had his eyes still wide open to make sure that this last day was not a dream.

"I never thought that this day would ever come. I never even dared to hope," Tsukishima was bawling now. "Kuroo, promise me that you'll never leave. Promise me."

"Of course my crow. I would never think to. I plan on staying right here."

With that, he kissed him. The kiss was not a long one, but it was a meaningful one. They stayed together for a second or two for reassurance, then embraced once more.

Yamaguchi had decided that the two had had a long enough time and walked back up to them. "Let's go back to my place and you two can catch up once more in a much quieter and peaceful setting. I know that you wanted some alone time Tsuuki."

 They walked back to his apartment at the fastest pace that Yamaguchi had ever walked at. Not only were they traveling at the closest they could get to the speed of light, the two soul mates never released hands or arms or eye contact. It got so bad that someone behind the group made a comment loud enough for the three of them to hear, "Man, lovebirds make me sick."

However, to the two's credit, they took it in stride. That and the novelty of each other had not yet worn off.

Finally, the apartment was within sight and Tsukishima started running and dragging a laughing Kuroo behind him. 

The door was unlocked and the pair basically invited themselves inside and into the bedroom.

"I can't believe that I found you this easily. The world had it out for us. I know it. But an exterior power must have intervened and had us reunite," Kuroo said with a large grin on his face. He knew that it was more than fate that had brought them together, but saying it out loud just to see the look on his crow's face made it worth it.

"You dork. There are no omnipotent forces. Even if there were, why would they care whether or not we found each other again?" he deadpanned.

"I know. I just wanted you to look like you again. No more crying. No more."

"Okay. I don't know how I lived out there without you. You can always make me laugh."

They stopped talking after that and just sat and held one another. This was what they had been waiting for those horrid three years. This is what they had lost. This is what they would never lose again.

~~~

 Yamaguchi had seen them sitting with each other and decided to give them a little privacy. While he did not know what pain soul mates go through when they are apart, he had heard of the tales.

One story that had always stuck with him through the years after hearing it in the class at school was simply called _Life._

Once, not too long ago, two people, a middle aged soul mate couple, lived out in the country where not many could disturb them. They lived mostly off the few acres of land that they owned. Neither wanted or needed anything than the other.

The two were out farming late one autumn day when they heard news of a new disease spreading throughout the world and destroying towns and cities alike. The two were not worried however, as no one ever visited.

They continued to hear news about the now dubbed plague. This plague kills 100% of the time, but only infected one of every two people susceptible.

Life was fine for the two until one of them started showing signs of sickness. They did not get worried because they were confident of the fact that neither would get sick. So they waited until the sick one was on their deathbed to try to fix anything. But, there was nothing that they could do. The deed was done.

They died. It took a toll on the others state of being. They would not move, eat, or acknowledge another person. Then the pain of losing their soul mate became too much, and in the dead of night, the poor person hung themselves.

This story made the teenagers at school just laughed and laughed. They called the soul mates awful names and could not see the symbolism in the story.

The story would never repeat with Tsuuki and his soul mates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I low-key can see Tsukishima as an atheist. I'm not going to tie religion into this but I had to make my boy Tsuuki an atheist.  
> And longest chapter yet! Are you guys proud of me?


	7. Ch. 7 ~Bokuto

Darkness.

It's all that he has seen. 

It's all that he has heard.

It's all that he has felt.

Darkness.

His mind is blocked off from the rest of the world in a fantasy all its own.

~~~

The day was bright, sunny, and the perfect temperature. Not only was this the best time for what he wanted to do, it also happened to make the people sitting next to him happy.

Three of the best people in the world sat next to him. A sarcastic smart ass, a over the top funny guy, and a polite pretty boy.

One of the weirdest combinations, yes. But the person that tied them all together was him.

The energetic peacemaker.

Right now all of them were hanging out at one of the best spots in the smaller town. It was a secluded park on the far East side. Not many people ever went there because it was a little run down.

This did not matter to them. They just wanted somewhere to be themselves. And being near a nerd store also helped.

"Bokuto, come on. We are only waiting on you to go. Everyone else is ready," the pretty boy, Akaashi, said.

He shook his head and stood up abruptly.

"Ow, ow, ow. I forgot that you shouldn't stand up that fast," he cried out. His hands were on his head as he was waiting for the pain to go away. A few feet away, the funny guy, Kuroo, was laughing loudly at him.

"Bokuto, you need to pay more attention. But I do apologize for making you get up so fast," Akaashi said to him without a hint of worry. This was something that happened a lot.

"Akaashi you shouldn't be apologizing. It was his fault. Bokuto, stop being an idiot," said the smart ass, Tsukishima.

"Okay Tsuuki," Bokuto said with a smile.

"Bro you shouldn't let him walk all over you like that. I'm always here for you bro," Kuroo said dramatically.

"Bro, thanks."

"Bro."

They hugged in the most dramatic way possible while the other two just sighed since it was a common occurrence.

They all grabbed their bags off of the ground and started walking towards the store. The park visit was nearing a close.

It was a small walk to get to where they wanted. However, they did not walk very fast since none of them wanted the day to be over quite yet.

Bokuto looked in the trees for anything exciting. He always does this because there was a rumor of a certain animal that loved to live in these trees.

Tsukishima pulled him along until Bokuto suddenly let go of his hand. He turned around and saw Bokuto just standing there.

"Bokuto, come on. I want to get home."

No answer came from him.

"Bokuto. Let's go."

The other two noticed what was going on and came to see what was wrong. Bokuto kept staring at one spot for about another minute.

"I was right. I was right? I was right!" He finally exclaimed.

"Bro, what is it? I want to know," Kuroo said.

"Look! In that tree! It's an owl! I knew it!"

The others looked right where he was. And he was right. A small owl was sitting on a branch looking down on them.

"I've looked for one every time that we have come here! I finally found one. Are you proud of me?"

Kuroo looked to be as excited as Bokuto. The other two just sighed and told him yes.

"Akaashi, if I can catch it, can we keep it? I'll take good care of it. Please? I promise," he asked with pouty eyes. 

"First, you would never be able to catch it. Next, it is a wild animal. Finally, I do not want a pet owl. I say no," he shot down immediately.

Kuroo looked at Akaashi with a pained expression since he knew what was going to happen. Tsukishima just sighed and sat down on the bench near them. He knew he had to sit this one out.

Now Bokuto, anyone can guess what he did when Akaashi told him no.

He went into his patented emo mode.

He first lost his ever present smile. Then he said like a little kid, "Fine, if you won't let me get the owl, then I'm going to stop talking to you."

He collapsed to the ground and crossed his arms. It looked like he wasn't going anywhere soon. Not even Kuroo could carry him for long when he became dead weight.

Since he knew that this was going to happen, Akaashi was prepared.

"Bokuto, you can stay here while I leave with Kuroo and Tsukishima. When you are done pouting, you can come home," said Akaashi.

Bokuto suddenly turned his head around to look at him with wide eyes. He did not expect that. 

Akaashi then herded Kuroo and Tsukishima towards the direction they were originally headed.

Bokuto, still wanting a pet owl, stayed where he was.

 So, they left him there. Alone. In emo mode.

That turned out to be a good thing however.

Since Bokuto had one of the strangest haircuts in the world, many people wanted to see it up close. So, he would let them look at it and boost his ego a little at a time.

After about and hour or two, Akaashi came back to bring him home. He was quite surprised when he did find him thought. He had a little girl, no older than five, petting his hair like a dog.

He was being so kind to this girl. Not moving an inch. She was just talking and talking to him until she saw Akaashi standing against a tree near them. 

"Hello mister. My name is Natsu. Do you want to come meet my friend?" She asked him.

Being the polite person that he was, Akaashi agreed to come meet Bokuto. 

"This is Bokuto. He has weird hair, but it is really soft. Do you want to feel it?"

"Of course," Akaashi said, keeping his laughter inside.

He reached forward and pet Bokuto's hair while he himself looked very confused. 

"My name is Akaashi, Bokuto. It is nice to meet you."

"It's nice meeting you too, I guess."

They three of them played around the park for a little while until finally a person about the same age as them came to pick up the little girl. They could tell that the two were siblings because they had the exact same hair color, bright golden orange. It was like the sun.

Since Natsu wasn't there to distract them from the object at hand, the atmosphere got immediately awkward.

Akaashi stared at Bokuto while he pointedly ignored Akaashi. This was the side effect of emo mode that he disliked the most.

"If you come home with me right now, we can talk about getting a pet. Maybe even an owl if we research it a lot. You will do the most work with it though," he bargained.

"AKAASHI! Do you mean it? We can get a pet owl? The one I saw earlier left a little while ago but I still want one. Please?" He started dancing around since he was so happy.

"Of course. I wouldn't lie to you."

"Let's go home right now and tell Kuroo and Tsuuki the good news!"

They then went back home to talk about this decision to the others.

~~~

This was the most recent of the happier memories in his mind. Right after that the war started.

Farther back in his mind had better memories but it would take a while to get to them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto is now officially my favorite to write. He is similar to me in basically all aspects. You could ask anyone that knows me any they would say the same thing.  
> My longest and happiest chapter yet. My goal is to make every chapter longer since I am actually still enjoying this. I had expected myself to drop this a while ago.   
> Comment what you think. It raises my small self confidence slightly every time.

**Author's Note:**

> I want to thank anyone who had the courage to try out my story. I do not believe myself to be a good writer, but it is something that I thoroughly enjoy doing. If anyone has any suggestions to my story then please comment. I hope that everyone sticks around until the next chapter.  
> Ratings and tags might change when the story progresses. I will write if this does happen.


End file.
